


peaches and burnt sugar

by orphan_account



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Childhood Friends to Lovers, Drabble, F/F, Fluff, fluff fluff and even more fluff, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:28:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25442413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: in which azula falls in love with her best friend.
Relationships: Azula/Ty Lee (Avatar)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 219





	peaches and burnt sugar

Azula isn’t good with new people.

In fact, a secret of hers, is that she’s basically socially inept. 

Being thrust into a kindergarten classroom wasn’t a great way to combat this feeling, because now she thinks she’s going to vomit. 

Azula’s ember gaze scans the room from where she’s sat. The young girl curses it’s inhabitants. Her mother calls her a princess. To her, none of these other kids look like they deserve anything near the same title. The other children should be honored to have her in their presence, she decides. But, instead, she finds herself off-cast in a small, huddled corner. 

For a moment, she thinks that no one will bother approaching her and she will die alone in this classroom. That is, until a girl with her hair tied up in a long braid takes a seat next to her. 

“I’m Ty Lee.” Azula doesn’t want to dismiss her. “You look lonely and I think we should be friends.” 

“I’m not lonely. I’m Azula, a _princess._ ” She corrects. 

“My mom says that princesses are really important, like Belle! She’s my favorite. So now I _know_ we should be friends.” 

Azula blinked at that, the logic in the declaration a little lost on her. “Why?” 

“So I can protect you from the other kids, of course. Important people need protection.” Ty Lee responds pointedly, like it was the most obvious statement in the world. 

Azula can’t find any objections in that. She’s sure Princess Belle has at least one person to protect her. “Alright. We’re friends, then.” 

And it a sudden rush of enthusiasm, Ty Lee wraps her arms around Azula in a tight hug. Azula isn’t used to those. “I’m gonna protect you so good.” 

It’s a promise, a declaration. And it makes Azula smile. 

**

It’s the middle of summer, Ty Lee and Azula are starting 9th grade next year and Ty Lee is ranting about it. 

Azula isn’t really paying attention to that, she’s more focused on the sound of Ty Lee’s voice. 

She never really realized it, but Ty Lee sounded really pretty. Her voice was warm and nice and perfect and Azula wouldn’t mind hearing it forever. 

“Are you even listening to me?” Ty Lee groans, bumping the other with her shoulder. 

“No.” Azula replies cooly, squinting as a ray of sun clouds her vision of a moment. “Sorry.” 

Ty Lee rolls her eyes at this, but makes no comment. “I was saying that next year is a big deal, Azula! It’s the first year of high school! We can’t act like kids anymore.” 

Azula’s noise scrunches up. “I don’t think I’m much of a kid.” 

“I’m serious!” Ty Lee puffs. 

“Me too. You’re probably more of a kid than I am.” 

Ty Lee gasps in fake injury at this, poking Azula in the side as she giggled. “Hey! That’s not true.” 

“It is.” Azula hums, a small grin at play on her lips. “You still sleep with stuffed animals.” 

“They’re cute!” Ty Lee counters, a smile almost too big for her face lighting up her features. 

“Right.” Azula laughs. “Not kids anymore.” 

Ty Lee goes silent for a second, until her face lights up again as an idea forms. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll race you to my place. Whoever wins is the least kid-ish.” 

The idea sounds childish in itself, but Azula doesn’t mind. “Fine. We have to play Mario Kart at your house though.” 

“Deal.” 

And with that, they both took off at full speed. The run doesn’t last long, but Azula wins, and Ty Lee swears she let her. 

**

“Look.” Ty Lee’s voice drags the pair from a comfortable silence. She’s pointing at the sky. “You can see you!” 

Like a lot of what Ty Lee says, this confuses the other. “What?” 

“Gemini!” Ty Lee clarifies again, this time with a bit more passion. This clears up almost nothing for Azula. Her brows furrow. 

Ty Lee can tell she’s not exactly getting through to her. “Azula!” Her voice is stuck with genuine shock,”You don’t know your star sign?” 

What Azula wants to tell her is that she didn’t have time to memorize such trivial things about herself as a Zodiac sign, but she holds herself back. “No.” She replies bluntly. 

Ty Lee looks at her like this is the biggest travesty in the world. “Come on! Don’t you know like, everything?” 

This almost makes Azula laugh. “Well, obviously not. Nobody knows _everything,_ Ty Lee. Though, maybe I do come pretty close.” She finishes her reply with the upmost confidence. 

Ty Lee giggles, a sound that makes Azula smile even if she’s not completely sure why. “Well, anyway. You’re a Gemini. An air sign. It’s why you’re so logical.” 

“I’m logical because I’m smart.” Azula corrects, and Ty Lee ignores her. 

“I’m a Pisces. A sensitive soul! A lover!” 

And Azula can’t exactly argue with that, or at least about the fact that they were true to Ty Lee. “Hm.” 

Azula has never been very spiritual, she tries to think about what might happen after she dies. She doesn’t really try to think about how the universe might be controlling her every move. And she certainly doesn’t try to think about the fact the _stars_ might decide their personalities. It fact, the entire idea sounded a bit silly. “How stupid.” 

This makes Ty Lee’s shoulders sag a little, Azula doesn’t know why she notices, but she knows it makes her regret her choice of words immediately. “I believe in it. Geminis and Pisces are supposed to get along very well, by the way.” 

“Well, I guess that’s true.” Azula hums, her tone softer. 

Ty Lee doesn’t reply anymore, too caught up in starring at the sky. 

Azula thinks she looks pretty with the moon gleaming off of her face. 

**

“Azula?” A hushed voiced drew Azula from a slumber she was very close to giving into. 

“Hm?” 

“Have you ever kissed someone?”

The question caught her completely off guard. To be honest, it cleared the thought of sleep from her mind entirely. “What?” 

“I haven’t.” The honesty surprises Azula more than the question. Her head felt fuzzy. 

Finally, the words came. “Me neither.” 

“Would you ever wanna.. try it?” Ty Lee’s voice is quiet and shy, like she’s scared to frighten Azula. It made her skin prick. 

“Maybe.” Azula swallows. “Depends on with who.” 

This creates a silence for a moment, like Ty Lee isn’t exactly sure what to say. Or maybe, she was too scared. Azula can’t really figure her out right now. 

“What about with me? You know, just to try it.” 

And suddenly Azula’s heart speeds up to a million miles per minute. She thanks Angi that the light in the room is so dim that Ty Lee can’t make out her blush. Her palms suddenly feel clammy. “I think so, yeah.” 

“Okay.” Ty Lee mumbles, and now she’s sitting up and Azula can feel her eyes pouring into her. She’s expecting it now, and Azula feels like she’s not worthy enough to deny her. 

She matches the position, her cheeks still warm. She leans in, perching her head to the right. 

Then, Ty Lee’s lips meet hers and everything feels right in the world. She tastes like peaches and burnt sugar.

It’s over as soon as it started, much too Azula’s dismay. She lays back down to hide the stupid smile on her face. “Happy now?” She wonders if Ty Lee can hear the expression alit on her lips. 

Ty Lee lets out a little laugh that tells Azula she can. “Yeah. I am.” 

“Good.” 

“Night, Zula.” Ty Lee chirps softly. 

Azula doesn’t think she can sleep ever again. 

**

It’s junior year and Ty Lee is crying. 

Ty Lee never cries. 

Azula feels weak. She, for once, doesn’t know how to handle her friend. She holds Ty Lee in her arms like she’s afraid to break her. 

“I don’t understand.” Ty Lee blubbers, wiping her tears, and snot, on Azula’s sleeve. She doesn’t mind. “I didn’t expect Suki to just.. leave me like that.” 

If Azula is being honest, she wasn’t good at comforting others. No, right now, she’d much rather find Suki and deck her in the jaw. But Ty Lee, her poor, sensitive, Ty Lee would never allow that. So, she allowed herself, just this time, to be the comforter. “I’m sorry, Ty.” 

“I really liked her.” Ty Lee admits, looking up at Azula with round, teary eyes that make her heart shatter. 

“I know.” Azula hums, carefully beginning to do the others braid and play with her hair. Ty Lee always likes when she does that, she says it feels nice. “I’m sorry.” 

This makes Ty Lee smile, even if it’s a sad one. “Stop saying that, you didn’t do anything wrong.” 

Azula ponders over that for a moment, still playing with the other’s locs. “Yeah, but I’m still sorry. You deserve so much better.” 

“You think?” Ty Lee’s voice is hopeful, and it makes Azula upset that someone as wonderful as Ty Lee would need confirmation from Azula, especially when it came to what she was deserving of. 

“Of course.” Azula says, like it’s the most simple thing to answer in the world. And to her, it kinda is. 

Ty Lee makes a small noise and cuddles closer to Azula’s arm. “Thank you, Zula.” 

Azula nods, and they stay like that for the rest of the night. 

Azula wants it to stay just them forever. 

**

Azula is drunk, she doesn’t know if she likes the feeling. 

Everything is buzzing, and Azula’s skin is hot. 

“Zulaaaaaa.” Ty Lee is drunk too. 

This had been her idea, actually. Getting drunk in Azula’s brother’s Ford Pick-up. A celebration of graduation, she’d claimed. Looking back on it, it was a bit silly. 

“Zula!” Azula didn’t even realize she hadn’t replied. 

“Hm?” 

“You’re so pretty.” Azula’s heart flips of a minute at this. She tries to laugh it off, but really, she feels _alive_ from the compliment. That was a power Ty Lee always had over her. She hated it. 

“Are you saying that cause you’re drunk or do you actually think I’m pretty?” Azula jokes. 

This comment seems to genuinely offend Ty Lee. She pouts, Azula smiles. “I’ve called you pretty before.” 

That was true, Ty Lee was never very sparse with compliments. Truth didn’t mean Azula would take it easy on teasing her, though. “Mm? I don’t remember.” 

Ty Lee squints at this, like she’s trying to figure Azula out. “You’re very, very, very pretty, Zula. Prettiest I know.” 

And now Azula is blushing, a bright shade of pink she tries to blame on the heat of the car. Azula wishes Ty Lee didn’t make her heat up so easy. 

“What, no compliment back?” Ty Lee fills her silence. She’s still pouting and Azula is still smiling, so much it almost hurts her cheeks. 

“You know you’re pretty, I don’t have to tell you that.” 

“It’s nice to hear,” Ty Lee looks like she’s trying very hard to choose her words correctly. “Particularly from you.”

Ty Lee’s eyes meet Azula’s in a way that makes her heart flutter and she just can’t keep herself from interlocking their lips. 

She can taste cheap liquor on the other, it doesn’t make the kiss any less perfect to Azula. Doesn’t make Ty Lee’s lips any less softer. 

“You need to do that more.” Ty Lee replies to the sudden kiss, no hint of regret in her tone. 

“Yeah. I think I might.” Azula says, and she means it. 

**

Azula slips through the door of her and her lover’s shared apartment, a bag of Chinese food held tightly in her right hand. “Ty Lee?” She calls, placing the bag down on a table. 

“In here!” The taller girl calls from their shared bedroom.

The bedroom door opens with a creek, making Azula cringe. She hoped there was a way to fix the noise, she’d get to it soon. 

“I brought food.” Azula mumbles, sitting down on their bed. 

Ty Lee nods in acknowledgment to that and rolls over to face her girlfriend. “I missed you.” 

Azula smiles at the admission, leaning over the other. “You say that whenever I get home from work.” 

“Because it’s true. I don’t like being apart from you long, you know.” 

Azula does know, Ty Lee loves to remind her. That didn’t make it feel any lesser whenever she confesses it though. 

Azula planted a soft kiss on the other’s lips. It reminds her of the first, a few years ago. Peaches and burnt sugar. 

“I love you.” Azula hums into her Ty Lee’s cheek. 

“I love you too.” The words make Azula feel like a giddy school girl falling in love for the first time. 

“You don’t have to miss me that much, you should know I’ll always come back.” Her own from of a promise. Her own delectation. 

And this time, Ty Lee is smiling.

**Author's Note:**

> i write sm angst so this is pretty much free of it. just something cute and simple! i night rewrite it in more detail though. but this is just glimpses of tyzula throughout their childhood and teen years until finally college age when they r very much in luv


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